Counselling

About counselling

Counselling is one of the most simple and valuable ways in which to obtain help and understanding of our problems. It can help you cope with a crisis, find a way forward, or take stock of your life.

Often we are too busy or stressed to find time for ourselves. Counselling gives us the time and space to explore what we need, what our goals are, what might be holding us back and how we can regain control of our lives.

Counselling can be effective with:

anxiety and stress

depression

anger management

relationship and family problems

loss and bereavement

low confidence and self-esteem

emotional and physical abuse

personal development and identity

Counselling provides a safe, non-judgemental and confidential setting in which you can talk things through with a counsellor who is trained in effective techniques that can help you move forward.

Counselling can help you to understand your feelings, thoughts and behaviour, give you more clarity and leave you better able to make the changes which may improve the quality of your life.

People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons - no concern is too trivial or too serious. They may come with a specific problem, they may want to take stock of where they are in life, explore their relationships with others, or identify their needs and goals in order to achieve these more successfully.

Counselling is acknowledged as effective in assisting people to take stock of their lives especially at difficult or challenging times.

Counselling provides a safe and trusting relationship with a trained and qualified person who will help you to explore and talk through any difficulties and challenging areas in your life.

Many people find that talking things through with a counsellor who has been trained to listen and support them leaves them less confused and better able to make the changes which may improve the quality of their lives.

Doing this can help you understand yourself better and bring together feelings, thoughts and actions to open up new possibilities.

People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons - no concern is too trivial or too serious. Sometimes people feel stressed, anxious, depressed, or lonely or may be worried about their relationships, marriage or family. They may be coping with bereavement, divorce or separation. On the other hand, they may want to take stock of where they are in life, explore their relationships with others, or identify their needs and goals and achieve these more successfully.

Your first appointment with a counsellor is an opportunity to talk through what has brought you to counselling and answer any questions that you may have. You can then decide whether you want to continue with the counselling process.

A counselling session lasts for about an hour. The number and frequency of sessions can be agreed at your first appointment. Confidentiality is vital and both the fact that you are coming for counselling and everything that is discussed remains confidential.

About counselling - More detail

Counselling can help you deal with a range of issues, from day-to-day worries or concerns to more serious, long-term difficulties such as depression or anxiety. Counselling can also help you come to terms with distressing or traumatic events.

Counselling can help you to discuss your problems honestly and openly, deal with issues that prevent you from achieving your goals and ambitions and help you develop a more positive outlook on life. Often we deal with stressful situations and events by talking to family or friends, however in certain situations they may be too closely involved and talking to a professional counsellor can help.

A counsellor is someone who is trained to listen to your problems. By discussing your concerns with you, the counsellor will be able to help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and actions, as well as suggesting ways for you to find your own solutions to your problems.

It can be a great relief to be able to share your worries and fears with someone who will confirm your feelings and help you to reach a positive solution.

Counselling works well if you feel comfortable and at ease with your counsellor. The client-counsellor relationship is a central part of the therapy. It is important therefore to find a counsellor who is well-trained, experienced and committed to providing a supportive therapeutic relationship that helps you to address your difficulties as you uniquely experience them.

At Holistic-Centre.org Ltd Mike’s aim in counselling is to provide a supportive environment where we can try to understand your difficulties from a different perspective and thus provide fresh insights and clarity. Counselling can be challenging but with support it can lead to self-awareness and a way forward.

Types of counselling

There are a number of different types of counselling. Each type aims to help people deal with negative thoughts and feelings, and enables them to make positive changes.

The main types of talking therapies are:

cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT),

person centred therapy

psychodynamic therapy,

other types of talking therapies, such as group therapy and relationship therapy.

Mike has trained in and uses person-centred and psychodynamic therapy. He has recently incorporated CBT skills into his work.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that explores how a person’s beliefs and way of thinking affects their behavior and how they deal with stressful situations. The aim is to help a person change their beliefs and thoughts and therefore feel able to deal differently with difficult situations.

Person-Centred therapy

Person-centred counselling takes a holistic approach to a person’s difficulties in order to help them develop to their full potential and live life to the full. This type of counselling may explore physical, mental and emotional aspects of behaviour and spirituality. Often person-centred counselling will they also look at the effect of other people, including family, friends, society and culture on thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy explores how a person’s personality and life experiences influence their current thoughts, feelings, relationships and behaviour. This understanding enables them to deal with difficult situations more successfully.

Click on the other Tabs above for further information.

People come to counselling for all sorts of reasons - no concern is too trivial or too serious. They may come with a specific problem, they may want to take stock of where they are in life, explore their relationships with others, or identify their needs and goals in order to achieve these more successfully.
Counselling can help you come to terms with distressing or traumatic events and can be an effective way of dealing with long-term mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety.

Counselling can be effective with:

anxiety and stress

depression

anger management

relationship and family problems

loss and bereavement

low confidence and self-esteem

emotional and physical abuse.

personal development and identity

Counselling can also help you feel stronger and develop your true potential.

It can help you:

positively and assertively reach effective decisions

resolve conflicts, communicate more effectively

improve relationships and feel less stressed.

What is counselling?

Counselling can help you deal with a range of issues, from day-to-day worries or concerns to more serious, long-term difficulties such as depression or anxiety. Counselling can also help you come to terms with distressing or traumatic events.
Counselling can help you to:

discuss your problems honestly and openly

deal with issues that prevent you from achieving your goals and ambitions

have a more positive outlook on life

Often we deal with stressful situations and events by talking to family or friends, however in certain situations they may be too closely involved and talking to a professional counsellor can help.

It can be a great relief to be able to share your worries and fears with someone who will confirm your feelings and help you to reach a positive solution.

What does a counsellor do?

A counsellor is someone who is trained to listen to your problems. By discussing your concerns with you, the counsellor will be able to help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and actions, as well as suggesting ways for you to find your own solutions to your problems.

Counselling works well if you feel comfortable and at ease with your counsellor. The client-counsellor relationship is a central part of the therapy.

It is important therefore to find a counsellor who is well-trained, experienced and committed to providing a supportive therapeutic relationship that helps you to address your difficulties as you uniquely experience them.

At Holistic-Centre.org Mike’s aim in counselling is to provide a supportive environment where we can try to understand your difficulties from a different perspective and thus provide fresh insights and clarity. Counselling can be challenging but with support it can lead to self-awareness and a way forward.

Are there different types of counselling?

There are a number of different types of counselling. Each type aims to help people deal with negative thoughts and feelings, and enables them to make positive changes.

The main types of talking therapies are:

cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT),

person centred therapy

psychodynamic therapy,

other types of talking therapies, such as group therapy and relationship therapy.

At Holistic-Centre.org Mike has trained in and uses person-centred and psychodynamic therapy. He has recently incorporated CBT skills into his work.

What is CBT?

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that explores how a person’s beliefs and way of thinking affects their behavior and how they deal with stressful situations. The aim is to help a person change their beliefs and thoughts and therefore feel able to deal differently with difficult situations. The NHS is using CBT more frequently, particularly for treating common conditions, such as depression and anxiety.

What is person-centred counselling?

Person-centred counselling takes a holistic approach to a person’s difficulties in order to help them develop to their full potential and live life to the full. This type of counselling may explore physical, mental and emotional aspects of behaviour and spirituality. Often person-centred counselling will they also look at the effect of other people, including family, friends, society and culture on thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

What does it cost?

Initial consultation - £35.00
This consists of a 55-60 minute session during which the counsellor will explore the issues and problems that have brought you to counselling. There will be time to discuss possible solutions and changes that you might make and to discuss whether further counselling sessions would be helpful.
Follow-up consultation - £35.00
This consists of a 55-60 minute session which can be used to further explore your problems, provide more insight, discuss changes made so far and set further goals.

How many sessions will I need?

In counselling we can work for an agreed number of sessions. Alternatively we can work on an open-ended basis.
When you begin counselling, sessions are normally arranged on a weekly basis. However it is possible to arrange sessions fortnightly or every few weeks if that is more convenient.

Is it confidential?

Confidentiality and trust are an essential part of the counselling relationship. Both the fact that you have chosen counselling and everything that is discussed remain confidential.
However British law does require that confidentiality be broken if a child is at risk or if criminal acts are disclosed.

Are counsellors regulated?

The government is currently discussing the regulation of counsellors.
One way of ensuring that your counsellor is properly qualified and keeps their training up to date is to choose a counsellor from the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) register. These counsellors work within a Code of Ethics, providing you with basic assurances and protection throughout your counselling.

What are the advantages of counselling?

Counselling does not use medicines or drugs

Counselling aims to treat the whole person and not just the disease.

Counselling can be safely used alongside conventional medical treatment and medicines.

How can I get more information?

It is important that the Counsellor that you choose is properly trained and registered. The BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) publishes a register of fully qualified counsellors who follow a strict code of ethics and practice. For further information please visit www.bacp.co.uk

Important Notice

The information contained herein are a matter of opinion & should be used for guidance only. It is not intended for the purposes of self diagnosis or treatment, which could be dangerous. If you feel you have a problem, then we advise that you seek professional help from an appropriately qualified health care professional i.e. doctor, osteopath, chiropractor or other.

The content of these pages are the property of Holistic Centre 7 Town Lane Little Neston NESTON South Wirral Cheshire CH64 4DE UK.
Proprietor - Andrew Woodhouse BSc (Hons) Ost and the respective authors of the articles concerned.
The content of these pages may not be reproduced in part or whole without permission.